When I was a student in Home Economics class in the 60s, I learned the pyramid of healthy eating. Growing up on a farm, I knew we had a somewhat balanced diet. We consumed lots of homemade bread, ate fruit from the orchard and vegetables fresh from the garden. We ate beef, ham/pork and chicken at every meal. However, no meal (even breakfast) was ever complete without the strawberry shortcake, rhubarb pie or another sugary baked good from Mom’s huge repertoire of fattening desserts.

Today, I’m really confused. The food pyramid has changed over the years and now, you have a choice of many pyramids, depending on the diet you choose. Some diets put only veggies on the bottom (the largest food choice) and grains on the third tier only a bit larger group than junk foods and sweets. My sister-in-law highly recommends the Keto diet that helped her to lose 25 pounds. So I tried it. My day started with a cup of coffee with heavy cream and coconut oil that’s supposed to keep me from getting hungry until lunch. Over the past month, that fat-laden coffee has caused me to gain five pounds. I guess I should have followed her step 2 and not let any grain or anything white pass my lips: white flour, sugar, potato, breads, chips. In other words, no comfort food.

Memoir Writing Prompt: If you have dieted in the past, which diets did you try? Did they work? You may never have been on a specific diet; however, write about the foods you ate as a child?

Today’s Writing Prompt: What do you eat today that you wouldn’t have eaten when you were a child? Why not? What special food do you see as a real treat today?